Kalimera! Your adventure begins in Athens, Greece’s capital.* At Athens International Airport, you’ll be met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel, where you’ll join other Dukes for a welcome meeting at 6 p.m. Then, you’ll get a taste of Greece’s celebrated cuisine during dinner at a local restaurant in the vibrant Psiri neighborhood.

Meals Included: Dinner

Activities:

• Welcome Meeting
• Welcome Dinner

Accommodation: Hera Hotel (or similar) - https://www.herahotel.gr/

*Note: If you want to experience all this ancient city has to offer, it’s highly recommended that you arrive in Athens a few days early. You will not want to pass up the opportunity to visit Athens' iconic Acropolis or walk around the National Garden before our welcome dinner.

This morning, you’ll be transported to Athens' port at Piraeus, where you’ll board a ferry to Paros — a beautiful and relaxed island with a layered history.* 

In the afternoon, you’ll get to know Paros through an island tour with a local guide. Starting off in the island’s main town, Parikia, you’ll visit the Ekatontapiliani or “Church of a Hundred Doors.” You’ll ride through the island’s mainland, passing by ancient marble quarries, before stopping at Lefkes, a village surrounded by verdant hills, olive and pine trees. Then, you’ll have the chance to learn about island life from a group of local women at a cultural center in Marpissa. Your tour will conclude in Naoussa, a village known for its whitewashed alleys, Venetian castle and scenic port.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Activities: 

• Highlights of Paros Half Day Island Tour with Local Guide

Accommodation: Pyrgaki Hotel (or similar) - https://www.pyrgaki-hotel.com/

* Note: Your travel time will be approximately 3.5 hours.

The day is yours to uncover more of Paros’ charms. You might opt to take a guided morning hike along the coast, starting off at a fishing village and weaving through some of the island’s best beaches. Or maybe you’d like to spend the day relaxing on one of Paros’ many beaches, cooling off with dips in the Aegean Sea. In the afternoon, you’ll have the option to visit the nearby island of Antiparos — a favorite secret holiday spot for royals and celebrities. Your leader is available to help you make the most of your time on this island.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Pyrgaki Hotel (or similar) - https://www.pyrgaki-hotel.com/

In the morning, you’ll catch a short ferry to Naxos, the largest and only self-sufficient island of the Cyclades. Naxos has something for everyone—from beaches to unique, hyperlocal cuisine to hundreds of years of Venetian history. 

After settling in, we’ll regroup in the late afternoon to learn about the Old Town with a local guide. At the Portara, you’ll come close to the only remaining piece of an unfinished temple of Apollo from 530 BC. During our group dinner, consider trying regional specialties, such as sefoukloti, a fragrant vegetarian pie, or rosto, a red-wine braised pork dish.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Activities:

• Old Town Walk & Portara Visit

After breakfast, you’ll take a car ride to Eggares, a small farming village that produces most of the island’s produce. During a guided tour of an olive oil press museum, you’ll learn about the importance of olive oil to Greek culture. Then, you’ll put your new knowledge to good use during a hands-on cooking class in the nearby village of Galini. After collecting fresh ingredients from your host’s organic garden, you’ll create a Naxian dish from scratch. You’ll have the chance to pair your lunch with a tasting of local kitron, a citron liqueur produced exclusively on Naxos.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Activities:

• Cooking Class at a Local Home
• Olive Oil Press

Do more of what makes you happy on this free day in Naxos. Beachlovers can unwind on a sunbed at Plaka Beach before enjoying a sunset dinner at a local taverna. History buffs can spend the day at the Geological Museum of Apeiranthos or the Archaeological Museum of Naxos in Chora, where you’ll encounter artifacts from the Neolithic to early-Christian periods. Foodies can get a taste of “karydopita,” a Greek walnut cake flavored with local kitron. Whatever your interests, your leader will be available to help tailor a spectacular day for you.

Meals Included: Breakfast

In the morning, you’ll catch a ferry from Naxos to iconic Santorini.* In Fira, Santorini's capital, you’ll be met and transferred to your feature stay hotel. A whitewashed building in traditional Cycladic style, the El Greco Resort features a year-round swimming pool; modern, spacious rooms and unbeatable views of the sea. Located in a prime area for exploring Santorini on foot, consider a walk to the Archaeological Museum of Thera to learn about how previous civilizations lived on the island. And make sure you catch Santorini's world famous sunset.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Accommodation: El Greco Hotel (or similar) - https://elgreco.com.gr/ 

* Note: Your travel time will be approximately 1.5 hours.

You’ll start your day with a hike along Santorini’s legendary caldera, an expansive, water-filled crater formed by an ancient volcanic explosion. Your hike will take you along the northwestern rim of the caldera, passing steep cliff faces and amazing views, and end in Oia, a town nestled on a steep slope inside the caldera.* 

Then, you’ll experience the fruits of Santorini’s microclimate and volcanic soil that make it a top destination for wine production. Sip your way around the island with two special stops: the Symposium Cultural Centre, where you’ll sample Greek wine from traditional cups, and a family-run winery.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Activities:

• Caldera Hike
• Winery visit
• Mythology and Wine experience

Accommodation: El Greco Hotel (or similar) - https://elgreco.com.gr/

*Note: Your walking time will be approximately three to five hours (12 km). There are several uphill and downhill sections, and there is no shade or toilet facilities along the route. The ground surface varies between gravel and loose volcanic scree. 

In summer, the leader may decide to start the hike as the sun rises to avoid the day's heat. Therefore, you may need to organize a takeaway breakfast, as the hotel will not serve breakfast this early. Please speak to your leader for more details if you have any concerns. As an alternative to the hike, you can take a taxi to Oia and meet up with the rest of the group there or enjoy a beach day.

You’ll enjoy your final breakfast before your transfer arrives to take you to Athens International Airport.